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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28301316">One More Sleep Til</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/magnetgirl/pseuds/Pixie'>Pixie (magnetgirl)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Trek: Picard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Character Study, F/F, Ficlet, Late Night Conversations, Picard Vineyard, Post Picard S1, Star Trek Secret Santa 2020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 14:22:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>867</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28301316</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/magnetgirl/pseuds/Pixie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Seven of Nine considers her families.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Raffi Musiker/Seven of Nine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Star Trek Secret Santa 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>One More Sleep Til</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/USSJellyfish/gifts">USSJellyfish</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I set this at Christmastime, but there are only vague allusions to the holiday (I believe Picard celebrates and the rest indulge him). Raffi and Seven have so much potential as a relationship and I love them, but this is more a glimpse than a fully evolved story. I hope it is 'cute' enough and at least hits some of your buttons for family and friendship. You are a wonderful friend yourself, and I always enjoy hearing your thoughts on family, friends, and femslash in <i>Star Trek</i>. </p><p>Happy holidays!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Raffi shuffles into the day room. A series of windows overlooks the vineyard, and when the sun is out it's full of light. Now, there's only the soft glow of starlight. Not unlike the ship, she muses. She always teases JL for being a patrician, standing watch over his kingdom, but maybe it wasn't the grapes he was looking at. In any case, makes sense why this is where Seven ended up. She'd woken to find the former Borg missing from their room. Not an irregular occurrence for either of them; sleep can be hard to come by, and night too quiet. On <em>La Sirena, </em>where there are few places to hide and no way to leave, they'd tacitly decided to wait each other out. Picard's estate is different, easy to get lost in. It makes Raffi twitchy. "What are you doing up?"</p><p>Seven doesn't look away from the sky. "Wondering."</p><p>"Wandering?"</p><p>"Wondering," Seven repeats, with the slightest emphasis on the '<em>o</em>n'. Raffi scrunches her nose.</p><p>"What about?"</p><p>"Family."</p><p>Raffi feels her throat tighten at the word, and her heartbeat races. Seven turns, her heightened senses picking up Raffi's panic. </p><p>"What's wrong?"</p><p>"Nothing." Seven raises an eyebrow. Raffi twitches. "I dunno, it's a heavy word." She shrugs, glances over. Seven is still watching, waiting, for a more complete answer. There's a directness she has, an intensity that compels Raffi to keep trying, to keep talking until she stumbles onto truth. As guarded as Seven appears to be, she holds sincerity as close as Elnor. It's why the kid looks at her like she painted the stars in the sky. Well. One of the reasons, at least.</p><p>Raffi looks away again, at her hands, at a hangnail on her right index finger. She picks at it, distracted, a tiny bead of blood pools in her nail bed. "What's your family like?"</p><p>Seven cocks her head to consider. "Dedicated."</p><p>Dedication seems like something someone should want in a relationship. But with Seven appearances are rarely the whole story. "To what?" Raffi asks.</p><p>Seven pictures her parents in their tiny ship. Her mother reaches around six years old Annika to tap the controls on the console, capturing data on the Borg. Erin and Magnus smile at their accomplishment, dedicated to their research. </p><p>She pictures the Collective. The monsters come to life, who stole her, infected her, and welcomed her. They banished fear and loneliness, provided stability and purpose. So many years later she still hears the echoes, the whispers of unity, dedicated to their order.</p><p>She pictures Kathryn Janeway on the bridge of <em>Voyager</em>. Shoulders back, posture rod straight, announcing her allegiance to the Federation despite the many thousands of light years distance between them. Despite the lack of recognition or respect on the face of the Delta Quadrant denizen on the viewscreen. She pictures Icheb flickering into view, his uniform crisp, unable to hide his grin as he reports on his work, his mission in deep space. She pictures Naomi Wildman crossing the stage to accept her first commission, and the rank of Ensign, recognition of her successful completion of the Academy's command program. They burn with pride and the dignity of Starfleet, dedicated to their duty.</p><p>She pictures the rangers, a collection of mismatched crusaders, underfunded and overcompensating. Mistrust runs rampant, but they come together to fight their common enemy— the broken systems of authority that run rampant across the universe. The rangers are all angry, all damaged, all dedicated to their cause.</p><p>And she pictures the evening before. The crew of <em>La Sirena</em> gathered around the fireplace, Picard reading a centuries old ghost story about Christmas, greed, and redemption. Soji sat closest to the old man, watching with her head tilted, eyes and ears recording every moment. Elnor, too, stared up at Picard in rapt attention, eyes wide with wonder. The adults were less invested in the story. Rios and Agnes were on the couch, tipsy and entwined. Raffi sat on the step by the fire, as close to the flame as she could get without burning. Zhaban flittered around the room with various trays of hors d'oeuvres, mulled cider, and wine. And Laris stood watch from a corner, bright eyes alert to any dangers. The room could hold more than double their group but it felt full, and cozy. Like home.</p><p>In the present Seven reaches for Raffi's hand, curls their fingers together. "Dedicated to their ideals," she answers with a soft smile and an open heart.</p><p>Raffi's eyes narrow. She senses something happened in the moment between question and answer. But Seven's hand is warm and her expression content, it makes Raffi feel lighter, too. "You done wondering?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>Raffi smiles. "Wanna wander?" The manor invites it.</p><p>Seven tugs on their hands, pulls Raffi close. "Yes." She leans in, nudges Raffi's lips open with her tongue. "I want to wander all over."</p><p>They move as one to the couch, the low light of the dying fire mixes with the starlight to create a warm glow. Wonder and panic and query fall away as they come together. There is time enough for all of it.</p><p>The vineyard slumbers, dedicated to the past, present, and future.</p>
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